World Pool Championships 2025, July 21-26, Jeddah

Gotta love Gorst and everything about his game, but 2025 has been a year in which he hasn't been able to get to the finish line. After a great Derby City Classic in January in which he won the one pocket, the bank pool and the Master of the Table, he remains without a title in either 9ball or 10ball this year.

Love Fedor's form right now and feel like he might well prevail at one of the two majors in August, the Florida Open and the US Open 9ball. Wishing him the best. What a player!
Gorst missed the UK Open and PLP because of back problems he flew to Russia to address. He missed the Euro Open due to scheduling conflict and was in China for that big trade show.

He’ll get plenty of chances coming up, but as today showed, it’s tough to win a major WNT title.

Ivory on Pin

This is just dumb.
Thanks for the constructive feedback. And, yes. That's kind of my point.

Ivory provides no performance enhancements over modern synthetics. It's far less durable. And it's much more expensive; especially for the elephant. On the other hand, I think one could argue that properly treated puppy hides could provide for a very comfortable grip. And as far as I know puppies aren't on any kinds of endangered lists. In fact, we seem to have more than we know what to do with in a lot of places so they'd be incredibly sustainable. It would be like a chinchilla coat except it would be a wrap for your cue.

I'm not trying to be an ass about this. I'm only trying to bring some humor to how and why my view of ivory in cues has changed over the years. And like I said in another post, I'm not going to judge or shame someone for liking it. It's just not my thing anymore.

World Pool Championships 2025, July 21-26, Jeddah

It's all over and there's no question that the better man won. All the credit to Carlo Biado, now a holder of two WPA Sanctioned World Championships.

This match was decided by the safety battles, which went heavily in Biado's favor.
Very heavily. Gorst was subpar in the semis too. Kept underhitting balls or making less optimal choices. Sometimes his jumping ability is a curse. He has to do a better job of recognizing when.

World Pool Championships 2025, July 21-26, Jeddah

And if this was a race to 13 (which some years have been), this is already over with Biado champion.
And if this was a race to 13 (which some years have been), this is already over with Biado champion.
No. Players play different in races of different lengths. Number of racks changes the mindset going in, and during, matches.

World Pool Championships 2025, July 21-26, Jeddah

Agreed that they don't matter much in GOAT discussions, but for BCA hall of fame worthiness, I feel that silvers and bronzes do matter.

As far as the "major" majors (World 9ball, China Open, US Open, All Japan), have to wonder whether Strickland's count of eight (3 World 9ball, 5 US Open) will ever be exceeded, but Josh and Fedor are young and still have a shot at it.
If Josh and Fedor retire tomorrow they’ll both get in.

World Pool Championships 2025, July 21-26, Jeddah

Well I don’t think silvers matter too much so that’s two WC titles and one US Open in my books.
Agreed that they don't matter much in GOAT discussions, but for BCA hall of fame worthiness, I feel that silvers and bronzes do matter.

As far as the "major" majors (World 9ball, World 10ball, China Open, US Open, All Japan), have to wonder whether Strickland's count of eight (3 World 9ball, 5 US Open) will ever be exceeded, but Josh and Fedor are young and still have a shot at it.

World Pool Championships 2025, July 21-26, Jeddah

Carlo needs at least a couple of major titles more to have a chance for HOF. Fedor is most certainly on his way there but not for another 10+ years until he’s 40. By then he should have a bunch of titles already to qualify with flying colours.
I think in significant titles Carlo just surpassed Busty. And Busty is already in.

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